Chile: rules and approvals
SEC certifies listed electrical products, which must carry the SEC mark, and certificates remain valid while the design is unchanged, though SEC may audit products already on the market.
Chile · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Smartphone Distributor in Chile
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in Chile every shift: copper and lithium plant operators in the Atacama, refinery crews at Concón, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. Mining accounts for about 14 per cent of GDP, or around 20 per cent including linked activity, and about 3 per cent of the workforce works directly in mines and quarries. A hazardous area smartphone distributor in Chile would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topichazardous area
DeviceSmartphone
RouteDistribution
WhereChile
Short answer. Chile has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · hazardous area
Checklist: hazardous area smartphone for Chile
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Chile: Salar de Atacama, Collahuasi, Concón | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Chile
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Chile. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · Chile
Where this applies in Chile
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Chile market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Codelco
- State copper miner — Chuquicamata, El Teniente and other major divisions
- BHP / Minera Escondida
- Operator of Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine
- SQM
- Sociedad Química y Minera — lithium and potassium extraction on the Atacama salt flats
- Antofagasta Minerals
- Major private copper mining group
- Collahuasi
- Anglo American and Glencore joint-venture copper mine
- ENAP
- Empresa Nacional del Petróleo — state refining at Concón and Biobío, and Magallanes gas production
Industrial areas and sites
- Chuquicamata / Calama
- Codelco’s giant open-pit copper mine and smelting operations
- Escondida
- Concentrator and processing complex in the Atacama highlands
- Salar de Atacama
- Lithium and potassium brine extraction ponds
- Collahuasi
- High-altitude copper mine near the Bolivian border
- Concón
- ENAP refinery on the central coast near Viña del Mar
- Magallanes
- Southern gas production region near Punta Arenas
Field notes · Chile
More about Chile that matters for portable equipment
Chile: logistics and access
Chile's customs service works with SUBTEL and SEC, and non-certified products in mandatory categories can be held at the border, so importers should carry certificates and technical documents.
Chile: industry on the ground
In 2025 Chile was the world's largest producer of copper, iodine and rhenium, and the third-largest producer of lithium and molybdenum.
Chile: rules and approvals
Mining is governed by separate bodies including the Chilean Copper Commission, ENAMI, SERNAGEOMIN and the Ministry of Mining, so a mine's safety rules come from the mining regulator as well as electrical law.
The term · hazardous area
What “hazardous area” means for a smartphone
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Chile. Chile's classified areas are concentrated in the Atacama copper and lithium belt, including Chuquicamata, Escondida, Collahuasi and the Salar de Atacama, with a refining and gas cluster at Concón and Magallanes. Dust, not gas, dominates the north. Operators such as Codelco and ENAP classify their own areas, not SAMS.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in Chile
A distributor for Chile would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
What SAMS looks for in a partner
- Operator relationships
- Existing supplier registrations or a clear route to them with the main operators and contractors in Chile.
- Ex-competent staff
- People who understand zone classification, markings and the conditions of a certificate.
And equally important
- Local-language support
- Documentation, training and helpdesk in the languages the workforce uses.
- Service capability
- Spares, battery replacement and repair routed through SAMS-approved channels.
Questions · Chile
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area smartphone in Chile today?
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
What does a hazardous area smartphone in Chile cost?
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
Which hazardous areas is the IS-04Z1 designed for?
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Which sites in Chile does this cover?
The market guide for Chile covers Chuquicamata / Calama, Escondida, Salar de Atacama, Collahuasi, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How do I become a SAMS distributor for Chile?
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Chile.
What approval does a mobile phone need in Chile?
SUBTEL approval is needed for radio and telecom devices before they are imported or sold, normally through a local legal representative and with FCC or CE test reports. SUBTEL does not currently require a specific label. Confirm current requirements with SUBTEL or an agent before shipment.
Can electrical products with chargers need SEC certification in Chile?
SEC certification applies to listed electrical products such as power adapters and chargers, which must be tested in a recognised laboratory and carry the SEC mark. Whether your accessories are on the mandatory list should be checked with SEC or an accredited body before import.
Will altitude and temperature swings affect the handset?
Many Atacama sites sit above 3,000 metres with big day-to-night swings and intense UV. The build is designed for that spread and the display for outdoor use, but the certified ambient range is stated only when the certificate issues. Check that range against site extremes and trial a unit.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Chile, and on other places in Chile.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in ChileSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in ChileSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in ChileSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in ChileSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in ChileSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in ChileSame place, different guide
Chile market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for ChileEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Chile
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Chile
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · Chile
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Chile?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.